UK Visa processing times may improve in Pakistan

On 8 October 2009 the Home Office made an announcement following the UK Home Secretary's visit to Pakistan:

During the visit the Home Secretary Alan Johnson advised the Pakistan Government that UKBA is committed to reducing visa processing times and to providing an efficient visa service. He said that he regretted the distress caused to applicants due to IT problems during the summer. Mr Johnson also visited UKBA offices in Islamabad. Staff at these office said that they will be able to reduce the waiting time for visa applications to 15 working days in November in accordance with the Government's goals on Worldwide processing times. The Home office went on to say:

'We have introduced tough checks around the world for anyone applying for a visa to enter the UK, with applications checked for fraud and forgery, with individuals fingerprinted and checked against a range of watch-lists. We have also taken every step to ensure the rules are clear, with advice on the application process is available on our website.'